Patna: Minister of Chief (CM) Nitish Kumar will launch the first CNG bus service (compressed natural gas) at Samvad Bhawan on July 24.
Previously, the Department of Transportation had run several diesel-run buses converted to CNG.
Sanjay Kumar Agarwal, Secretary of the Department of Transportation, told reporters on Monday that the introduction of the green CNG bus will run far in limiting pollution.
“Eco-friendly bus, cost-effective, will reduce city carbon footprint,” he said, adding that all diesel-powered buses will also be converted to CNG in 2022.
As part of a new service, which will be launched by CM on Saturday, all 50 buses will ply on three different routes – BankiPore Bus Depot to Danapur (number 111a), Patna City (555) and Bihta and Iit-Patna (888).
Of these, 20 buses will run on the Bihta and Danapur routes and 10 on the route Patna City.
Depending on the closed distance, the minimum CNG bus rate will be Rs 5 and Maximum Rs 45.
Each non-AC bus with 31 seats will be equipped with CCTV cameras, governor speed, GPS device, first aid kit and fire extinguisher.
Agarwal also said the number of CNG charging stations will rise from eight to 12 in a few months.
At present, there are CNG stations in areas such as Rukanpura, Transport Nagar, Bahadurpur, Gola Road, Deabargaj, Saguna Mor, Naubatpur and Bypass Road near Bakhtiarpur Toll Plaza on Patna.
Indian gas authority officials Limited, a company that has established a CNG station in the city, claimed that three more will appear in Bihta, Masauri and Danapur in the next two-three months.
“We are still in talks with the state government to establish a CNG charging station in Phulwarisharif.
After the proposal was passed, we would take six months to set up a station,” he added.
The CNG level is Rs 61.9 per kg and diesel around Rs 95 per liter.